The Region of Huánuco is located in the central part of the country, between the coordinates UTM 245 023.56 E - 553 462.16 E and 8 840 082.91 N - 9 080 734.01 N. It includes areas of the Andes, high forests, low forests, and tropical forests. The Cordillera Blanca occupies part of its northwest territory with the Cordillera de Huayhuash, the Nudo de Pasco to the south, the Cordillera de Raura on the border with Lima, and the Cordillera Azul forming a watershed between the Huallaga and Ucayali rivers.

The Huánuco region has an area of 36,850 km2, with 867,272 inhabitants in 2016 according to INEI. This represents 2.7% of the national population of Peru.

The regions is neighbored by La Libertad, San Martin and Ucayali to the north, east Ucayali region, and to the south by the regions of Pasco and Lima, and to the west by Ancash. The region ranges from 167 to 6334 meters above sea level, with the capitol city situated at 1,894 meters above sea level.

Causes of deforestation in Huánuco include include agricultural activities, forest fires and diseases, and the uncontrolled felling of trees. A substantial driver in some areas is illegal mining, which is particularly prevalent in the province of Puerto Inca, where it is responsible 16% of the loss in vegetation cover.

At present, the deforestation of tropical forests is a real threat. In Huánuco the rates of deforestation in have been much more intense in dry and semi-arid areas, especially in the mountains. This is likely due to the fact that drier areas and higher altitudes in Huanuco are more suitable for livestock production. The soils of these regions, in general, are richer and easier to cultivate than the old soils of the tropical plains, which are largely depleted of nutrients and have restrictions in place to prevent agricultural expansion.

One of these consequences of deforestation in Huánuco is the release of forest carbon into the atmosphere. Deforestation also leads to a loss in water retention, and increases the impact of droughts in the region.

Notes

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Due to different methodological approaches and base years, Forest Status data fields may differ slightly. Data sources for each field are listed below.